New Start, New Home
by RowlingsGirls22
Summary: Years after the Second Wizarding War. Hermione and Ron buy a new house to start a new life.


Hermione Weasley plopped down on the soft brown leather couch in their new house and handed Ron a bottle of water from the fridge. Ever since the war ended three years ago things had been pretty good; the Ministry of Magic was renamed the Hall of Magic but functioned the same, both Harry and Ron had been offered jobs as minister of magic but declined. Hermione remembered it perfectly.

* * *

It was a sunny November afternoon; snow fell lightly on the windows of the newly re-built burrow. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny all sat in the large living room playing a game of wizard's chess. Well Ron and Ginny were playing wizard's chess. Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet, and Harry was staring at the floor thinking.  
Ha, there goes your knight Ronny. I know how much you love them." Ginny teased, her deep red hair falling into her face, Hermione looked up at Harry.

"You ok?" He nodded curtly and the room fell silent, a sharp knock at the large wooden door made everyone jump. Ginevra stood and walked quietly to the door.

"Ah Hello?" She called through the crack as Ron and Hermione joined her.

"Ginny Weasley let me in." The person demanded from behind the still closed door. Harry stood from the living room wand out and slowly walked towards the door. Ginny stepped backwards bumping a vase as Hermione dove and caught it there was another knock this time with a door knob jingle. "Oh for merlin's sake its Minerva McGonagall, open this door!" The Professor banged again. Ron reached past Harry for the knob but his best mate smacked away his hand.

"Say something only the professor would know!" Harry said tensely. Something rustled from outside. Then a meow from under Hermione escaped.

"Crook… oh Professor. See Harry it really is her you oaf, go fetch some tea." The tabby pawed her way to a green arm chair and leaped up suddenly becoming an old and grown woman, with gray hair teased up in a high bun and wearing spectacles.

"Professor McGonagall if you don't mind my asking I mean it's a lovely surprise but…" Ginny trailed off as everyone took a cup of tea from Harry.

"Why am I here? You were always one to get straight to the point, thank you Potter." She took a sip and closed her eyes becoming the stern faced _"I mean business"_ professor they remembered from transfiguration. "As you very well know we have been rebuilding the wizarding world, Hogwarts, the Hall of Magic; everything and now that we are almost finished we need a minister to run it. I was sent here to find out if Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley would like the job." McGonagall finished turning to the boys in turn.

"What about Ginny or I?" Hermione asked but being who she was already knew the answer.

"You know the law Granger we witches are to stay home, tend to the house and young'uns. Not to be out there running the world."

"That is so sexist!" Ginny screeched in a hushed tone as to not wake the rest of the household.

"Hey Minister what's his face was smart, what good are witches out there in the world?" Ron laughed then frowned as McGonagall and Harry turned to face the wall. Ron looked at his kid sister and his girlfriend to see if they had turned around too. But it was the opposite both girls stood glaring at him eyes ablaze. With lightning quickness they reached out and slapped him across the cheeks. Rom howled in pain as the SMACK sounded off Harry motioned for McGonagall to turn back around.

"Well boys, how about it?" she asked picking up her tea cup. As Ronald was still massaging his cheeks Harry spoke first.

"Um sorry professor but with being Head of the Auror's I would probably self-combust from all the stress."

"Alright, Ronald how about you?" Ron slowly looked up from his spot on the floor and shook his head violently like an abused house-elf.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" He spoke as one word. "They'll hurt me again." He whispered sacredly pointing to the girls who proudly smirked from the couch. "But I do have someone in mind that very much deserves it, he's older and has way more experience at the Hall, my, I mean our father." He looked hopefully at Ginny who grinned broadly.

"Oh Ron dad's perfect." She exclaimed.

"I'll have the board review him but I'm sure he'll be second best!"

* * *

"Hermione? Hermin?!" water splashed on her face returning Hermione back to the present day in her living room next to her week old husband. "Well Hermin I've been thinking." Ron poked her arm bringing her attention to him.

"Well that explains the smoke in the house." She laughed airily. Ron frowned Hermione was making this harder to say and he wanted her to for once agree with him.

"I want a family Hermione and… and besides you I love you but… but I want kids too." He spoke rushed and stuttered a bit looking at his hands the whole time. When he finished he looked up to see his wife's reaction but found her standing and looking furious.

"Right now Ron!? It's barely a week after our wedding. I don't even know if I want kids and if I do they are in the future not now!"

"What!?" Ron stood up equally furious now. "Why not, mini us, Hermione think about it. Little baby Ron's and…"

"Exactly, Ron. Think back. Were you a good baby? I know I wasn't and add in the red hair. I'm not a breeder ok so just leave it." She burst into tears and made a run for the stairs but Ron tried to grab her arm.

"Honey…" But she whipped out her wand and pointed it at Ron.

"Don't touch me!" she choked through angry tears and bounded up the stairs two at a time.

Ron stood outside the polished white bathroom door nervously twisting his wedding ring round and round his finger. Looking around their two-level he smiled proud of what they had accomplished. With Hermione at St. Mungo's and Ron working alongside George at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes together they had worked up enough money to buy a home. It had three guest bedrooms, a master suit complete with bathroom and walk-in closet, two other bathrooms, the kitchen, living room and dining room. When you first walk thought the French door into the kitchen there's an L-shaped granite counter with a sink, dishwasher and stove to the left; to the right is a door that leads to the living room and beside the door is the fridge and in the middle of the room is a small island with 2 stools and another sink. There is also another door by the counter and cupboards that goes to a hallway. When Hermione first saw all the doors she said

"Ron the living room, hallway and dining room doors have to go." Demolition hadn't started yet. Painted a light brown with a scarlet red velvet carpets Hermione, Ginny and Luna liked to pretend they were movie starts going up and down the red carpet. The first door to the left is the bathroom, a bit further down the two bedrooms face each other on opposite ends and lastly the wall at the end of the hall way is a mirror. In the living room however there are two brown leather couches, a flat screen TV, sliding glass doors leading to the backyard, fire place and a spiral staircase. The dining room is through a maple door beside the open black spiral stairs. Inside is a large oak table much like the ones in the great hall but smaller and with chairs and seats fifteen. Up the stairs is another bathroom, the master bedroom and the guest bedroom that Hermione and Luna had cast a tricky little spell on so it was just like the room of requirement. It has always housed Ron's pet owl Pigwidgeon.

* * *

"Hermione I'm sorry that's not what I meant." His voice rang through the empty house. After ten minutes of silent sobs and tears she finally answered.

"I know what you meant Ronald."

"I didn't mean right, now but maybe just two or three. I know you don't want a big family but in the future, near or far I don't care. Hermione please come out I feel like I'm talking to a door." Crookshanks meowed from inside pawing and hissing at the door. "You brought that bloody cat in with you?" Hermione opened the door to let Crookshanks out and on instinct Ron whispered "Protego!" to conjure up a shield. Ignoring Ron completely she said.

"Come dear off to bed." Hermione motioned for Crookshanks to follow her. But Ron thought she meant him.

"Alright it's only nine, but we'll talk in the morning." She spun on her heel and fired a body bind curse which bounced off his shield and hit Crookshanks square in the nose.

"Not you!" Hermione cried picking up the frozen cat and slamming the door to the bedroom.

"Great, just great now I have to sleep with Pig." Ron whispered angrily to himself as he trudged to their version of the room of requirement.

"Why don't we just call it the multi-purpose room Ron? It would be so much easier than the computer/ "man cave"/pet and owlery room." Hermione asked when he first told her what the room was.

"It's more like the room of requirement." He had remarked back and so Hermione rushed off saying something about Hogwarts a History and a spell. Two days later she had found it and called Luna straight away to help her perform the spell.

Ron chuckled at the memory as he waltzed in the room which had become the guest bedroom and tossed Pig an owl treat. He opened the window just in time to catch Errol the Weasley family bird. "Ruddy old bird, I can't believe you're still alive." Ron hissed setting him down beside Pigwidgeon and taking the letter from his talon.

_"Dearest Ron and Hermione; _

_Just wrote to remind you that the Weasley brunch will be held at your house tomorrow. So far it's Arthur and I, Bill, Fleur, and Victorie, Neville and Luna, Ginny and Harry, George, Angelina and Hermione's parents. See you tomorrow at 11am sweetie xxoo_

_ – Mum."_

Ron finished reading and inhaled sharply before running back down the hall and banging on the door. "

Hermione I know you mad at me but open up!" she cast a muffilito spell in response as Ron tried the door. "Alohomora." He breathed un-locking the door and levitating Crookshanks off the bed and out the door before relocking it; as Hermione had taught the cat to open door claiming to have made it easier for the blasted thing.

"Well what if a fire started and he was stuck in a room." To which Ron reminded her how much he cared for the thing.

"So he dies. So what? We'll get another cat."

* * *

"Hermione, did you remember about the Weasley family brunch tomorrow morning?"

"The alarm is set for eight Ronald."

"Please stop calling me Ronald, I'm sorry ok it's mum she's asking where her grandchildren are besides Victorie and they're new baby Louis Remus Fred who is due in September." When she didn't respond he continued. "Harry and Ginny did the whole talk thing, they agreed on 3 kids and their names already." Hermione turned to look at Ron, his red tousled hair, freckles and blue eyes. Tears stung in the back of her own brown eyes, how could she tell him? It would break his already fragile heart.

"Ron I have to tell you something and you're not going to like it." She sighed heavily. "I'm… I'm partially infertile. The war did something to me, I think it was that curse from Yaxley and I can't get pregnant all the time." Ron backed away shocked. Leaning against the wall for support he whispered hoarsely.

"So we can't have kids?"

"Not unless we get very lucky."


End file.
